HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



J 57 



profession cannot do better than forthwith procure a 

 copy and diligently study it. 



National Health, by Dr. Benjamin Ward Richard- 

 sou (London : Longmans). This is an abridgment 

 of the author's work on the " Health of Nations," 

 and the most practical and popular parts of the 

 larger work are here condensed into a handy and 

 cheap volume. It is a highly useful and valuable 

 little work. Dr. Richardson groups his chapters 

 under four headings as follows : " Health in the 

 Dwelling House," "Health in the School," "The 



NOTES ON VEGETABLE TERATOLOGY. 



WE shall be pleased to give due notice to all 

 extreme cases of floral or foliar departures 

 from ordinary specific types of plant structures. 



Miss Pope, of Maidstone, writes : " I beg to report 

 a case of "fasciation" in Cardamine pratensis 

 (Cuckoo flower, or lady's smock), in which the 

 thickened stem bore some seventy flowers." 



Mr. M. W. Gale, of Weymouth, sends us specimens 



Fig. 88. — Euphorbia antygdaloides (magnified), i. Perfect inflorescence, a, stamen; h, pistil; c, gland (crescent shaped)-. 

 d, filaments. 2. Imperfect inflorescence, a, gland (crescent shaped) : b, filaments. 3. Posterior view of involucral leaf. 

 4. Budding inflorescence. 



Health of the Community," and " The Health of the 

 Future." 



The Workhouse and its Medical Officer, by Alfred 

 Sheen (Bristol : John Wright & Co.). The second 

 and re-written edition of a work that cannot fail to 

 be of value to medical officers and all who have to 

 deal with provincial workhouses and their be- 

 longings. 



Mr. W. P. Collins' catalogue of works treating 

 of " Invertebrata (Recent and Fossil) " is to hand, 

 and contains, as usual, a good assortment of books at 

 moderate prices. The same may be said of Messrs. 

 Wesley's entomological, and of Mr. John Wheldon's 

 zoological catalogues. 



and says : " In a specimen of wood spurge recently 

 found at Portland there are at the conjunction of the 

 involucre stems, and within the lower involucre, 

 solitary imperfect flowers consisting apparently only 

 of abortive filaments set round with crescent-shaped 

 glands. I was familiar with this plant years ago, but 

 never remember to have seen these rudimentary 

 developments. Can it be then in an evolutionary 

 process it is preparing to produce additional flowers ? 

 The true flowers, which are above the false ones, have 

 the organs mentioned, but also pistils and stamens 

 corresponding to those described in botanical works. 

 I see no notice in any book of these false flowers. 

 Can any of your readers throw light on this 

 matter ? " 



